Illegal Immigrants Deportation Operation.

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Pakistan denies UN refugee agency’s claim of suspending repatriation of ‘illegal’ foreign nationals​

In this photo released by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, left, shakes hand with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after their meeting in Islamabad on July 9, 2024. (Prime Minister Office via AP)
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Pakistan denies UN refugee agency’s claim of suspending repatriation of ‘illegal’ foreign nationals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Wednesday refuted a claim by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) that the country had suspended its plan to repatriate illegal foreign immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, following a deportation drive launched by the government last year. The...

arab.news

Updated 10 July 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR
July 10, 202412:38




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• Pakistan has so far deported over 620,000 Afghan nationals after launching a deportation drive last year
• Afghan envoy to Pakistan says the government lacks a clear policy over the issue, making refugees suffer

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Wednesday refuted a claim by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) that the country had suspended its plan to repatriate illegal foreign immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, following a deportation drive launched by the government last year.
The foreign office dismissed the assertion only a day after UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded his three-day visit to Pakistan where he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, among other senior officials.
The UN refugee agency said in a statement Grandi called for the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, a critical identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghans that legalizes their status in the country.
The UN agency said its visiting official expressed appreciation that the repatriation plan for illegal foreigners had been “suspended,” seeking assurances it would remain on hold. When asked about the development, however, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch rejected the claim.
“That’s not true,” she said response. “It may be noted that no such understanding has been given by Pakistan to the UNHCR, including in recent meetings with the High Commissioner for Refugees.”
Baloch added the repatriation program remained in place and was being “implemented in an orderly and phased manner.”
The UN agency said its top official offered to work toward a dialogue over the issue later this year, promising to bring together key stakeholders to develop a package of solutions that could benefit both the Afghan refugees and the host country.
“In the meantime, as Pakistan continues to host some 3 million Afghans, all solutions need to be explored in addition to voluntary repatriation, including third-country resettlement and longer-term solutions within Pakistan,” the UNHCR added.
Meanwhile, the Afghan embassy said in a social media post that Kabul’s acting envoy in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmed Shakeeb, told Grandi in a meeting that refugees from his country were suffering due to a lack of a clear official policy over the issue in Pakistan.
“The Ambassador underscored that Afghan refugees should not be subjected to forced deportation but rather allowed to repatriate with dignity,” the post said, adding that Shakeeb called for the provision of a unified and valid card for all Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government launched its deportation drive in November last year after a spike in suicide bombings which the officials blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing much evidence.
So far, over 620,000 Afghans have been deported to their country.
The government also says Afghans are involved in smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.
A cash-strapped Pakistan navigating record inflation, alongside a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, also said undocumented migrants had remained a drain on its resources for decades.

Pakistan denies UN refugee agency’s claim of suspending repatriation of ‘illegal’ foreign nationals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Wednesday refuted a claim by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) that the country had suspended its plan to repatriate illegal foreign immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, following a deportation drive launched by the government last year. The...

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Repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals continues

July 15, 2024

The repatriation of Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan is continuing.
According to the latest statistics, 15727 Afghans returned to their country over the last two weeks. With this, the figure of Afghan returnees has reached 653, 154.

Repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals continues

Repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals continues

radio.gov.pk

غیر قانونی افغان باشندوں کی وطن واپسی کا سلسلہ جاری

July 15, 2024

غیر قانونی افغان باشندوں کی وطن واپسی کا سلسلہ جاری ہے۔
3 جولائی سے 15 جولائی تک 15ہزار727 مزید افغان باشندے اپنے ملک لوٹ گئے۔
واپس جانے والوں میں7ہزار126 مرد، 4ہزار 926 خواتین اور3ہزار675 بچے شامل ہیں۔
افغانستان روانگی کے لیے 510 گاڑیوں میں 487 خاندانوں کی اپنے وطن واپسی عممل میں لائی گئی

غیر قانونی افغان باشندوں کی وطن واپسی کا سلسلہ جاری

غیر قانونی افغان باشندوں کی وطن واپسی کا سلسلہ جاری

urdu.pbc.gov.pk

 

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As of July 21, 2024, the repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals from Pakistan is ongoing, with a total of 659,653 individuals having left the country.

Weekly Repatriation Data (15th July - 21st July, 2024)

During the week from July 15th to July 21st, a total of 6,499 Afghans were repatriated. The breakdown of individuals by demographic category is as follows:

Men: 2,965
Women: 1,658
Children: 1,876

https://twitter.com/x/status/1814894672038264873

 

[ghazi52]

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐟𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 .....................

https://twitter.com/x/status/1905147891380858925

 

[ghazi52]

Afghan Citizen Card holders: Preparations for repatriation completed​

Recorder Report

ISLAMABAD: The government has completed preparations for the repatriation and mapping of Afghan Citizen Card holders who have been given a deadline of March 31 to leave the country.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting to review the repatriation process, emphasising that the federal government is maintaining continuous coordination with provincial governments to ensure the smooth execution of the plan.

The federal government has pledged full support to the provinces in carrying out the process.

A committee has been established based on recommendations from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

During the meeting, officials confirmed that all arrangements for the repatriation are in place. A door-to-door awareness campaign is ongoing on, and the mapping of Afghan Citizen Card holders has been completed.

Additionally, provisions for holding centres, food, and healthcare facilities have been arranged to assist those returning.

To address any issues during the repatriation process, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry will be visiting provinces.

Minister Naqvi also directed authorities to ensure that Afghan nationals are treated with respect throughout the process.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Federal Secretary for Interior, the Secretary for Kashmir Affairs and SAFRON, chief secretaries and inspectors general (IGs) of all provinces, the director general of FIA, the IG of Islamabad Police, the deputy commissioner of Islamabad, the Coordinator of the National Action Plan, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Law, and security agencies.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

 

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The repatriation process for Afghan refugees residing illegally in Pakistan will commence today as the deadline for voluntary return expired on March 31.

The government had also requested details of Afghan students in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by March 27 to update the Foreign National Security Cell’s dashboard, which tracks foreign nationals in the country.

This policy of expelling illegal immigrants is part of Pakistan’s broader security efforts in response to growing terrorist attacks, which Islamabad attributes to groups operating from Afghan soil.

Pakistan to begin Afghan refugee repatriation as deadline expires​

Repatriation affects a large number of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades.

News Desk
April 01, 2025

Afghan refugees wait with their belongings to cross into Afghanistan at the Friendship Gate of the Chaman Border Crossing in Balochistan. Photo: REUTERS


So far, 878,972 Afghan refugees have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, according to Radio Pakistan. However, human rights group Amnesty International has criticised Pakistan’s repatriation plan, describing it as "opaque" and expressing concerns that the March 31 deadline would worsen the refugees' situation.

Pakistan currently hosts 2.1 million documented Afghan refugees, with many others living in the country without legal documentation. Approximately 1.3 million of these refugees have received Proof of Registration cards, with more than half of them residing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The repatriation affects a large number of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades, including many born in the country who have never lived in Afghanistan. Peshawar hosts the largest population of Afghan nationals, many of whom run businesses and work in the city.

In 2023, a deadline for unregistered foreigners led to the return of many Afghan nationals, and similar voluntary return camps have been set up for those returning now.

Earlier this month, the Taliban urged Pakistan and Iran to implement a structured and gradual repatriation process for Afghan refugees, emphasising the need to avoid forced deportations and acknowledging the challenges faced by returnees in Afghanistan.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan delays Afghan deportation deadline due to Eid holidays​

Government had initially set a deadline for March 31 for Afghans holding specific documentation to leave the country.

News Desk
April 01, 2025

Pakistan has postponed a deadline for the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Afghans due to the Eidul Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, a government official confirmed on Tuesday.

The government had initially set a deadline for March 31 for Afghans holding specific documentation to leave the country, intensifying efforts to repatriate Afghan nationals. However, the government has now extended the deadline until the beginning of next week due to the holiday period, according to an official.

Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) – issued by Pakistani authorities and reportedly held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations – will be subject to deportation once the new deadline expires.

Additionally, more than 1.3 million Afghans with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are set to be relocated outside the capital Islamabad and the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi.

The UN estimates that nearly three million Afghans currently reside in Pakistan, with many having sought refuge over decades of conflict in their homeland. The number surged after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Human rights groups have condemned Pakistan’s deportation campaign. Moniza Kakar, a Pakistani human rights lawyer, warned that many Afghan refugees have lived in Pakistan for years and face an uncertain future if forced to return.

“Many have been living in the country for years, and going back means going back to nothing,” Kakar said.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated since the Taliban takeover. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants, a claim the Taliban government denies. In March, a Pakistani delegation met with Afghan officials in Kabul, emphasizing the importance of security cooperation in the region.

The Taliban administration has repeatedly called for the “dignified” return of Afghan refugees. Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged host countries not to forcibly remove Afghans, instead requesting support for their voluntary return.

“We ask that instead of forced deportation, Afghans should be supported and provided with facilities,” Akhund said in an Eid message delivered before Pakistan’s original deadline.

Following an ultimatum issued by Islamabad in 2023 for undocumented Afghans to leave the country, more than 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan between September 2023 and the end of March 2024, according to UN figures.

 

[ghazi52]

Afghan repatriation underway in Balochistan’s Chaman: district official​

Abdullah Zehri
April 3, 2025


Holding camps have been established and Afghan refugees are being repatriated via the Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan’s Chaman district, according to a district official on Thursday.

The second phase of sending back Afghan refugees was due to begin today (Thursday) following the expiration of a government deadline of March 31 for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave the country voluntarily.

However, a senior official at the Afghan Commissionerate told Dawn.com that repatriation had been delayed due to Eidul Fitr as per Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s instructions.

Habib Ahmad Bangulzai, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chaman district, told Dawn.com on Thursday that the return of ACC holders began on April 2 (Wednesday) and that holding camps had been set up along the Afghan border, including one at Jamal Nasir football stadium.

“The Chaman district administration completed arrangements before Eidul Fitr, for which a database camp was set up at the LPG terminal at Bab Dosti border crossing point,” he said.

“It will not only have data transit entry but will also house Afghan families in case the border gate is closed.”

Bangulzai added that through Nadra, the biometric verification of Afghan citizens will be carried out in the Bab Dosti camp and that Afghan families left behind during processing will be provided with accommodation and food.

“More than 3,500 families are registered in Chaman district, of which two families have voluntarily returned,” the DC said. “Levies have taken action and shifted eight other families to holding camps. After entering their data into Nadra and other processes, they will be sent back to their homeland across the border.”

Bangulzai also told Dawn.com that DCs in other areas of Balochistan have also reached out to him for repatriation drives as Chaman is the “Pak-Afghan gateway”.

“Afghan families coming from other districts will have their data re-entered in Chaman, after which they will be made to cross the border,” he said.

 

[ghazi52]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1907770243839037574

 

[ghazi52]

153 refugees voluntarily leave for Afghanistan via Torkham border​

Umer Farooq | Ibrahim Shinwari
April 4, 2025


A total of 153 Afghan refugees have voluntarily left for Afghanistan from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via Torkham border crossing to prevent the government’s crackdown.

On Wednesday, officials from the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees in the provincial capital said that the government had established two transit points for sending Afghan refugees back to their country, with one in Khyber tribal district and the other in Peshawar.

They said that the second phase of the repatriation exercise for Afghan refugees with Afghan Citizen Cards, a document that showed that the Afghan refugees were registered in Pakistan, was similar to the first one as all those being sent back would be registered with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

On Thursday, senior government officials said that 153 ACC holders left Pakistan voluntarily after the repatriation deadline expired on March 31.

Official insists force to be used only if ACC holders refuse to leave voluntarily

“Although the deadline has expired, no one has been picked up or forced to leave since the government wants an honourable return of Afghan refugees. The crackdown has yet to begin,” a senior government official told Dawn.

He added that since March 31, 27 out of 153 Afghan refugees left on Wednesday. The official said that a report on the number of Afghans who returned on Thursday would be filed later.

Besides 153 registered refugees, around 850 illegal foreigners also left for Afghanistan.

“These 850 persons are those who had been living in Pakistan without any documentation. They lacked ACC and Proof of Registration cards, so they’re undocumented,” the official said, adding that the government will only use force if the refugees refuse to leave voluntarily.

On Wednesday, officials said that the deportation process for ACC holders was to begin on April 1 but the KP government extended the deadline until April 2 in view of Eid holidays.

A senior official at the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees in Peshawar said that the government did not want to use force and expected ACC holders to return to Afghanistan voluntarily.

PDMA employees preparing accommodation for the returning Afghans. — White Star


Since the reparation of Afghan refugees illegally residing in Pakistan began in 2023, over 477,434 Afghans, including women and children, have left for their country.

Official data revealed that over 470,722 Afghans, including women and children, departed Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing and 698 through Kharlachi border and one illegal foreigner through the Sost border to China.

Also, 2,953 Afghan nationals, illegally residing in other parts of the country, left for Afghanistan through KP. They included 1,561 from Islamabad, 1,309 from Punjab, one from Gilgit-Baltistan and 44 from Sindh.

The data also showed that among 477,434 Afghans who left for their country since Sept 2023, 468,481 did so voluntarily, while 8,953 were deported.

Meanwhile, six Afghan families voluntarily returned to their country from the Khyber tribal district on Thursday.

Officials remained tight-lipped about the number of individuals and the process adopted to repatriate the “willing” Afghans.

Police in Landi Kotal said that the six families who had gone back on Thursday were not handed over to them nor were they registered at the temporary registration established near Hamza Baba’s mausoleum.

The families comprised 27 male and 13 female members.

Sources at the registration centre said that the facility had yet not become fully operational, so registration of the returning Afghans couldn’t be initiated.

Meanwhile, additional chief Secretary Home and Tribal affairs department visited the centre in Landi Kotal on Thursday and reviewed arrangements for the deportation of illegal Afghan nationals.

He was received by the deputy commissioner of Khyber tribal district along with the DPO, and representatives of Rescue 1122, health department, Nadra, FIA and PDMA.

The DC briefed the additional chief secretary and his team about the services provided at the centre.

He said ACC holders and illegal foreigners would be provided with all necessary assistance for return to their country.

Meanwhile, imports from Afghanistan remained suspended for the second day on Thursday as the National Logistic Cell failed to fix the faulty scanner.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2025

 

[ghazi52]

Repatriation and implications​

Imtiaz Gul
April 05, 2025

The deportation of nearly 880,000 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, along with all foreigners illegally residing in Pakistan, is underway following the expiration of the official March 31 deadline, which mandated the return of these individuals to leave the country voluntarily.

The move has caused considerable "mayhem" — both in Afghanistan and elsewhere — with calls for compassion and refrain from forced repatriation.

But quite interestingly, Iran has expelled over 1.5 million Afghans in the last two years but hardly has it been subjected to the kind of scrutiny that Pakistan is currently facing.

One wonders why Pakistan is singled out for a drive that in essence is centred in the need for documentation of every foreigner that enters, resides or leaves the country.

The Interior Ministry defends the crackdown, arguing "sufficient time has already been granted for their dignified return", emphasising that no one will be maltreated during the repatriation process, that began as the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program in November 2023.

It forced around 850,000 undocumented refugees to return to Afghanistan in the first phase. They largely included hundreds of thousands of Afghans who fled their country in the wake of its takeover by Taliban in August 2021.

 

[ghazi52]

The ongoing second phase is primarily targeting individuals who possess the ACC. The temporary identification document was issued to undocumented Afghans, mostly economic migrants, by the Pakistani government under a programme implemented in 2017 with the support of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to address their vulnerabilities and facilitate access to services.

Pakistan also hosts nearly 1.4 million legal Afghan refugees with the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UNHCR. The PoR cards remain valid until June 30, 2025. Notably, over 60% of these refugees were born and raised in Pakistan.

However, several questions arise based on my extensive experience and observations over the past three decades in and around Afghanistan.

Does the phased expulsion of Afghans address Pakistan's security concerns? While officials have publicly argued that the presence of Afghans, both through PoR and ACC, poses a threat, it is unclear whether this expulsion will effectively address the security crisis.


Secondly, what tangible benefits will be gained by forcibly repatriating Afghans who were born, raised and educated in Pakistan? For many of these young people, Afghanistan is an unfamiliar country.

Additionally, despite the PTI provincial government's policy gaps and execution shortcomings, its standoff with the Centre and security establishment since 2013 has only exacerbated the province's economic woes and deepened the governance crisis, particularly in the six border districts that were merged in May 2018.

The province continues to bear the brunt of TTP-led violence that originates from across the border.

 

[ghazi52]

It is important to note that the apex committee comprising the civilian government and the 11th Corps has continued to function effectively, largely due to the military's consistent leadership in addressing issues related to Afghanistan, borders and terrorism.

Thirdly, the air is already toxic, replete with numerous anti-Pakistan narratives, predominantly emanating from Afghans who suffer under the oppressive rule of greedy police or border officials. These officials merely amplify and exacerbate the sentiment against Pakistan.

Do they consider the consequences of their decisions, which grant the police unchecked authority to extort Afghans from all corners of the country? In numerous cases, even those with valid documentation, businesses and relationships have fallen victim to the unbridled and high-handedness of these officials, often driven by a voracious desire for money.

Lastly, and more alarmingly, what mindset is currently prevailing in Pakistan? Do officials genuinely seek to protect Pakistan or merely the capital territory of Islamabad?

Internally, the stated intention was to force Afghans out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and relocate them to other areas. We would be delighted if most Afghans could leave the capital territory and Rawalpindi, as officials in Islamabad reportedly whispered into each other's ears.

The most apparent implied intention, it appears, was to push Afghans from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi into the already struggling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The province continues to grapple with the repercussions of the two Afghan wars, one against the Soviet Union and the other against Al-Qaeda, commonly referred to as the war on terror. In both instances, KP served as the launching pad, leading to a dilution of the rule of law.

This erosion of law and order facilitated the involvement of both local and foreign state and non-state actors, resulting in countless compromises, relaxations of regulations, interference in the civilian security sector and circumvention of societal norms.

The consequences are evident in the decaying governance structures, characterised by bureaucratic lethargy, political expediency and professional incompetence.

The movers and shakers of power need to tread the path carefully to avoid the perception that they only care about Rawalpindi and Islamabad and that they treat KP and Balochistan as useless backyards, where socio-political tensions and economic adversity doesn't seem to bother those who matter.

 

[ghazi52]

Afghans pack bags as crackdown intensifies​

Operations ramp up in Rawalpindi and K-P

Our Correspondents
April 05, 2025

Afghan refugee families sitting in a truck with their belongings head towards Afghanistan in Peshawar. Photo: AFP


As the clock ran out on the government's deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, Afghan nationals across several cities on Friday began packing their bags - some voluntarily, others by force.

Authorities, meanwhile, are turning up the heat. Law enforcement agencies have ramped up operations across several cities to facilitate what officials now describe as the "forced repatriation" of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. With the voluntary repatriation period ending, many Afghan-run shops and offices in commercial areas in Peshawar have remained closed since Eid.

Afghan nationals have shut down their shops and offices in Peshawar's commercial hubs, while law enforcement agencies have intensified operations to facilitate the repatriation process.

As part of NADRA's national re-verification and renewal campaign, dozens of Afghan individuals have had their Pakistani identity cards cancelled.

A major crackdown is expected after April 11. So far, 153 Afghan refugees have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan.

Shops owned by Afghan citizens involved in various trades – including food, carpets, crockery and footwear - remained closed after Eid.

While a brief Eidul Fitr reprieve had granted Afghan nationals extra time, authorities said the grace period was over and no further extensions would be granted.

Moreover, officials warn that arrests are expected to begin soon. Although detentions have not yet begun in K-P, sources say it is only a matter of time before the hammer comes down.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, over 50 individuals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) were taken into custody during police operations and shifted to temporary camps.

According to police sources, several teams are conducting operations across various areas. Individuals holding ACCs will be repatriated to Afghanistan from these camps.

Sources added that families of cardholders will also be detained and transferred to the camps.

The operations will now be conducted on a daily basis.

Similarly, in Karachi, authorities and law enforcement agencies began implementing the federal government's policy of deporting undocumented foreign nationals on Friday, launching what officials described as the 'forced repatriation' of ACC holders.

According to official data, the operation targets an estimated 16,138 individuals, with more than 150 already detained in Karachi alone.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza confirmed that 162 ACC holders had so far been brought to the designated holding facility.

Some were released after verification revealed they held Proof of Registration (POR) cards instead.

DIG Raza said that a total of 196 Afghans from different areas were brought to the camp on April 3.

 

[ghazi52]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1908455915361018072

 

[ghazi52]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1908447601009053847